Yahoo Plans Tablet Newsstand

Yahoo is hoping to attract advertisers with the launch of its new Livestand digital newsstand service. Livestand promises to deliver the content consumers want based on their interests, time of day, and location. For advertisers, Yahoo promises an "interactive canvas that brings magazine-style ads to the tablet." Livestand from Yahoo! is expected to launch in the first half of 2011 with versions for the iPad and Android tablets. A version for mobile phones will follow.

February 10, 2011 - SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO - News) today announced Livestand from Yahoo!, a digital newsstand that continually offers new content to consumers, based on their interests. Launching first for tablets, Livestand from Yahoo! will enable publishers and advertisers to seamlessly distribute content across tablets and mobile phones in an experience that is elegant and personalized to the individual.

Designed to initially power Yahoo!’s vast digital content library – which includes Sports, News, Finance, Flickr, omg!, and the Yahoo! Contributor Network – Livestand from Yahoo! leverages Yahoo!’s strengths in content and personalization and re-imagines them into a new kind of experience for the rapidly growing tablet and mobile phone categories.

Livestand from Yahoo! offers consumers, publishers, and advertisers these benefits:

Allowing publishers to reach audiences at scale with personalized content:

Effortless set-up and usage.

Social interactions enabled to further expand content reach.

Reimagining the digital canvas for advertisers:

Targeting solutions across content and devices.

Interactive canvas that brings magazine-style ads to the tablet.

Combination of scale and hyper-personalization to reach and engage target audiences.

“Adoption of tablets and mobile phones is exploding, and digital media isn't keeping up. Consumers can't find the publications they buy off the newsstand, and publishers and advertisers can't reach the audiences they want to serve,” said Blake Irving, executive vice president and chief product officer for Yahoo!. “As the premier digital media company, we’re in a position to meet all of these needs. Livestand is an immersive environment that provides a dynamic and personalized experience for consumers, and a pipeline of fresh and active content for publishers and advertisers.”

Livestand from Yahoo! is slated to be available to consumers as iPad and Android tablet applications in the first half of 2011, and as a scalable platform for publishers and advertisers. Mobile phone and browser experiences will follow, as Yahoo! delivers purpose-built experiences across a variety of mobile Web entry points.